Arras is a beautiful and small city that is rich in history. This city took center stage in World War I during the battle of the Somme. That is the reason you will find that many of the things to do in Arras revolve a link to this battle.
My own knowledge about the history of this region was pretty poor before this trip. Visiting the area made me realize just how large the scale of the battle was.
Arras may have been a French city but the people who fought here came from all over the world.
Today, the city is peaceful, beautiful and reconstructed. If you don’t delve into the history, you could be forgiven for not realizing that this town has an important place in history.
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Where To Stay In Arras, France?
If you are anything like us and you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, you will find that Arras is a perfect city to stay a couple of days in the peace and quiet. It also is much cheaper than many of the bigger cities and if you are mobile aka have your own car, then you can visit a number of places in the surroundings.
Here are a couple of places that you should consider staying during your time in Arras.
Things To Do In Arras, France
1. Stay At The Grand Palace
⭐️ Rating: 8.4/10 (889 Reviews) Price: $132 per night 📍Location: 23 Grand Place, Arras Details: Read more on booking.com now!
I thought the Grand Palace was actually a palace but its not. Instead its a row of old houses that currently marks one side of a large square. It is marked on Google maps as a tourist attraction but aside from the pretty façade of the buildings and the numerous cafes, I did not find anything particularly interesting about it.
I later learned that it is one of the popular hotels to stay in when visiting Arras. It is located very centrally so everything is easily accessible. Plus staying in the gorgeous Flemish structures is definitely an experience if you’ve not done so before.
I guess that in summer the square would be bustling and everyone would enjoy the warm sun. We however didn’t see this because we visited Arras in February. While it was beautiful, it was just one the things to do in Arras that we saw from the outside.
“The lady on front of house was friendly & helpful. The location for the purpose of our visit which was to go to the Christmas market was absolutely outstanding, we couldn’t have asked for better.
Our room looked directly out onto the market square which was stunning especially later in the evening. The room was clean and both the double bed and sofa bed were very comfortable”
Leanne (read more reviews now!)
If you are looking for things to do in Arras in December then you will be happy to know that the Christmas market of Arras is right in the square in front of the hotel. So it honestly does not get better than this!
2. Beffroi d’Arras
The Beffroi d’Arras is a UNESCO Heritage site and is one of the things to do in Arras that you should not miss. Not only is the beffroi a part of the history of the city, it is also extremely pretty to look at. The best part is that you can ascend up the tower and get a panoramic view of the city below.
Just make sure to climb up on a day that has good weather or you will be treated to gusts of cold winds and you won’t be able to see far.
3. Admire The Hôtel de Ville d’Arras
Hôtel de Ville d’Arras is one of the prettiest buildings in the city. The outer façade that faces the Heroes square actually belonged to the town hall. The town hall however was destroyed during the war. The façade is all that remained. The building was eventually reconstructed.
4. Enjoy Heroes Square
Right at the center of the city, you will find a nice open square called the Heroes square. It is located right next to the Beffroi and is surrounded by all kinds of restaurants and cafes.
The Heroes square is the best place for a photo op if that’s what you are looking for. This is because it offers a great view of the Beffroi d’Arras.
This square took a lot of damage during the World War I. One cool way to see it is to walk towards Patisserie Thibaut. On this corner of the square you will see a view finder, kinda like the telescope that you see at monuments that are located at a height. Since it is located at such an odd place, we checked it out. The viewfinder gives you a chance to see what the square looked like before it was damaged.
5. Eat At Au Bureau
If you want a nice good meal, I would highly recommend going to Au Bureau. On good days you can sit outside and enjoy a scrumptious meal in the sun but when the weather is particularly nasty you will find that the indoors dinning area is cozy. The best part is that it has a small kids play area which means you can eat your meal in peace.
Now this restaurant is well known for their crepes. They have both sweet and savory options. After our time in Amiens, we were addicted to these so we tried them both out. 10/10 I would highly recommend choosing any crepe on the menu.
6. Arras Memorial
The city of Arras has a memorial erected to commemorate the lives of the people who lost their lives in the battle of Arras. Visiting it is definitely one of the things to do in Arras.
Unfortunately for us we were short on time and the weather took a turn for the worse so we skipped this one.
7. Citadelle d’Arras
One of my favourite things to do in Arras was to wander around the Citadel d’Arras. There isn’t really a lot to do here but there are loads of empty deserted buildings and a very pretty chapel. There’s even a restaurant.
I think the citadel was deserted largely because the weather was unfavorable. During summer, I can well imagine a peak in activity.
What you should know about the Citadelle d’Arras is that there are some pretty trails that you can head out for a walk on. It is quiet and peaceful. We were short of time and the weather was terrible so it wasn’t something we did. It is one of the things to do in Arras that I would revisit the city for.
8. Parc Cit’Loisirs
Now right next to the Citadelle d’Arras is a park called Parc Cit’Loisirs. It’s closed during winter but it’s something that you should keep on your radar for the other seasons. The park has a lot of ropes, bridges and activities that will keep both children and adults busy. It even has zip lines and kids activities that are pretty much aimed at all ages.
9. Carrière Wellington
The Carrière Wellington is one of the most important and iconic things to do in Arras. In fact, if you did not have time and could do just one activity, I would recommend visiting Carrière Wellington. There is one thing that you should note. There are only 17 people that are allowed on the tour at a time so you need to book your slot in advance.
Carrière Wellington is a museum where you can visit the underground limestone quarries that were prevalent under the city. These tunnels through these quarries were then dug by professionals who came from New Zealand so that they could tunnel under the German defenses.
The tour is impressive and you get to go 20 meters below to see these very tunnels. They use projectors to recreate history.
Note: If you are traveling with young children, it is dark and loud in parts and that can scare them. Our oldest daughter was four and she was happy with her audioguide and unperturbed. The younger one on the other hand needed to be cuddled and was worried about the bombs.
Our kids are used to the war museums so I can well imagine that many kids may not be entirely comfortable. My recommendation would be to take some noise canceling headphones along.
Take A Couple Of Tours
I really can’t impress on you how much of this countryside is battle scarred. It extends far beyond the city of Arras and if you are interested in WWI history it is definitely worth exploring. The reason I recommend tours is because you need transport to get to many of these places and if you don’t have a car, its pretty hard to do.
10. The Battle of the Somme Guided Day Tour from Arras
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (104 Reviews) Price: $156 per person Duration: 8 hours 📍Meeting Point: Gare d’Arras Details: Read more on Viator!
As I mentioned before, the Battle of the Somme was intense. It covered more than one location and the tactics that were used back then were frankly ingenious. Visiting these battle grounds is one of the top things to do in Arras.
One thing that you should also understand is that it also extremely humbling to see how many people lost their lives. The countryside has rows and rows of graves. Each cemetery is dedicated to the people from individual countries.
This particular tour will take you through these battlefields where you will learn first hand the human cost of the 1916 West front campaign. The visit will include Pozieres ridge and the Beaumont Hamel trenches, Thiepval and other memorials.
“The Somme tour was an important part of our itinerary for family history and although this was not the first choice I think it may be one of the best choices. Our guide Ron progressively ran through all stages of the battles and customized it to suit our small mixed group gave tips on other tours and information should we want to learn more. We had limited time and Ron really packed it in and was passionate on his subject.”
Jaunita (read more reviews now!)
This tour is pretty hard emotionally so go prepared. You will hear the soldier’s individual stories and understand just what it must have been like to be on the frontlines back then.
And there you have it. These are the my top recommendations when it comes to things to do in Arras, France. Quite frankly, a lot of these activities take time so make sure that you plan your day here properly. If you have extra time on your hands, spend a couple of days to truly enjoy the Arras charm.
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